By DAVID COVERDALE
MICHAEL OWEN has revealed he has never been 100 per cent fit since he was 19.
The ex-England striker, 33, who retires in June, said: “My hamstring gave way in a game at Leeds at the age of 19 and, from that moment on, my playing career was compromised.
“I actually take great pride in the fact that, even when not fully fit, I still competed at the very highest level playing for some of the world’s biggest clubs.”
Owen, European player of the year in 2001, scored 40 goals in 89 England caps and played for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Manchester United before joining Stoke last year.
He wrote in his online blog: “I have two over-riding emotions.
“The first is a sense of pride at not only what I achieved, but how I achieved it.
“The second emotion is a sense of ‘what might have been’ had injuries not robbed me of my most lethal weapon — speed.
“Many of my highlights were early on in my career and I can only wonder what more I would have achieved had my body been able to withstand the demands I made of it. I was almost too quick.
“I had signed for Stoke with every intention of playing more football than I had in recent seasons.
“For whatever reason, it hasn’t transpired.”
Owen admitted: “I had come to the decision before Christmas that this would be my final season in professional football although that wasn’t quite the plan at the outset.
“Yes, I’ve had a couple of small muscle injuries but it would be wrong to blame my lack of action on fitness.
“I have been available for a higher percentage of games this season than in my previous two.
“It just hasn’t happened and the simple fact is, it is either the manager’s opinion that I am not good enough to get into the team or that I don’t fit into the system that we adopt. “
Owen admits he was tempted by offers from foreign clubs in “emerging markets” but decided to call it quits to put his family first.
He will now look to seal a lucrative media role while also setting up his own player consultancy company.
Owen added: “The media side of football interests me. I am currently in discussions with several broadcasters and hoping to secure a contract for next season and beyond.
“I propose to set up Michael Owen Management Limited focusing on guiding young players through their careers and offering them advice at every juncture of what can be a career full of pitfalls.
“I feel genuinely excited by the opportunity of guiding some of our best talent through their formative years and beyond.”
